Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson — actor, game-show host and professional charmer — was best known as a sly, saucy daytime-TV conversationalist on, most famously, Family Feud. At least half the fun was how the quick-witted Dawson played off his guests and deflected their flubs. Feud was a show about people. The questions were not about facts; rather, they asked how a contestant thought most other people would answer, regardless of whether they were right or wrong. (“Survey says!”) And Dawson, who died June 2 at 79, was a people person. He joked with the men, flirted with the ladies — and famously kissed them, every one — reveled with the winners and commiserated with the losers. Survey says: He’ll be remembered above all for being the game-show host who loved us.

This text originally appeared in the June 18, 2012 issue of TIME magazine.